US newspaper industry dying

Nick Farrell
The Inquirer
Monday, Sept 1, 2008

US NEWSPAPERS already suffering from stiff online competition, are facing a loss of advertising thanks to the weak economy.

Normally around now newspapers can anticipate boosts from upcoming holiday promotions and ads for new car models, but this year it has not happened.

Now newspapers are laying off hacks while they try to work out how to generate enough revenue from growing Internet audiences to make up for lost print ad sales.

Some newspapers, such as the Sacramento Bee and Fresno Bee offered voluntary buyout deals to the majority of their full-time employees. The outfits are going to freeze pay across the company another, Gannett, announced in mid-August it was cutting 1,000 jobs, including 600 layoffs.

(Article continues below)

The San Diego Union Tribune is to cull staff by more than 75 positions, including some 30 in the newsroom. Earlier this year, the rag gave 117 employees their P45s.

The St Louis Post Dispatch cut 18 jobs, while the Chicago Sun Times is talking about still more cuts.

The problem is that retailers are reducing back-to-school promotions, while employers are placing fewer job ads given the weak economy.

Estate agents are gutted and have been putting in fewer ads too.

• 
• Social bookmarks
• 
• Email this article
• 
• Print this page

Comment Terms Of Use

5 Responses to “US newspaper industry dying”

1. Hereward Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 9:12 am

   I haven’t bought a newspaper since not long after I bought my first computer. I think I get a better idea of what’s going on in the world online than I do from the papers. Even if the reportage in the newspapers was intended to be 100% unbiassed and fair (and it obviously isn’t), it would still be influenced by the unconscious prejudices of the reporters and their management.

   One huge problem the traditional print media have is their arrogance. I’ve noticed that the websites of some of the very well-known papers (NYT comes to mind) want you to register and/or allow cookies on your computer before you can access the site. I don’t bother; I’m not going to give those people permission to spy on me for the highly doubtful privilege of being allowed to read their articles, especially when most websites aren’t doing that. They will have to significantly change their attitude in order to succeed online, I think.

   Anyway, it would be no tragedy if print newspapers became a thing of the past; they’ve had a pretty good run, of about 350 years.

2. me Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 9:14 am

   i fail to believe that 60% of any newspaper being advertisments, this is a newspaper fault, news is news, no matter the spin agenda or point of view. i think this is all big advertising. newspapers are old technology and advertisers (the 93 car dealership ads, the bands coming to town, grocery store ads) know they can lowball their price paid for the same ad to reach less people. i loathe the ad industry but dinosaurs die, its what they do. it happend to acme slave whips inc. and stone tools ltd. its evolution, baby.

3. MAR Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 9:17 am

   A nation with no newspapers is better off than one with bad ones. So long government mouthpieces. I hope the rich in the 4th estate bit the big one hard and lose billions…trillions. Stop buying them they just poison the mind.

4. Renee L Says:
   September 1st, 2008 at 7:29 pm

   Until they write truth no one will buy them! Simple, propaganda equals closure! Too bad for those who dreamt about a career in journalism who will never work until the criminals are out and the people are in!

5. Mike Knows Says:
   September 2nd, 2008 at 12:34 am

   Thats what happens when you print bullshit propaganda to the people. People will stop buying the paper and stop advertising in them. The other problem is that all the news comes off the wire from Reuters and the BBC that fabricate the news to begin with. The lies about what happened in Georgia and to hear Bush and Rice lying through their teeth about their own involvement in Genocide was the last straw for me. I will never buy or advertise in a newspaper for the rest of my life and I will turn the channel on tv when they try to pump propaganda, WAR and hatred towards others.
   There is no point buying or advertising in newspapers any more, It’s all lies.
   It’s pretty obvious who is responsible for invading South Ossetia… which way did the people run? they ran to Russia! .. they didn’t run to Georgia. They are not going to fool anyone.
   Who is building up ships in the Black SEA? It’s pretty obvious who the aggressors are. I don’t see Russia building up it’s Navy on America’s shore but I see USA building up on Russia’s shore.
   How freaking dumb does the media think we are anyway?
   Humanitarian aid my ass… what about the starving people in Africa! where 50 million starve to death each year…I don’t see them giving them any aid at all but they send aid to nations who commit genocide on innocent people.
   What a joke. It’s pretty obvious they will attack Iran soon as they lie about everything and always do the opposite of what they say. Nuclear war will only last 1 day and those that survive will have to live in a radioactive world for the next 10,000 years.